What We Have Achieved
The ‘Four Better Outcomes’ described our aims, policing objectives and what we intended to be delivered through effectively policing the communities of West Mercia. The Outcomes focused on the four key areas of:
- Tackling Crime
- Promoting Community Safety
- Improving Satisfaction and Confidence
- Protecting the Public
Tackling crime
West Mercia Police aims to make life difficult for those people who commit crime and seek to prey upon the more vulnerable members of our communities. Of course, the police service does not operate in isolation - we work closely with our local authority partners, other criminal justice agencies and local communities and together we have all contributed towards making West Mercia a safer place to live, work and visit.
| 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | Change 2008/09 vs 2007/08 | |
| Total Recorded Crime | 82,095 | 80,054 | 77,443 | Down by 3.3% |
| Domestic Burglary | 3,260 | 3,654 | 3,851 | Up by 5.4% |
| Violent Crime | 17,510 | 17,271 | ** | - |
| Vehicle Crime | 8,865 | 8,492 | 7,981 | Down by 6% |
| Sanction Detection Rate* (total recorded crime) | 32.5% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 0.6 point increase |
* where investigations lead to action being taken against an offender
** as a result of recent clarifications to the Home Office counting rules, this category is not directly comparable between 2008/09 and 2007/08
There were 3.3% fewer crimes recorded in 2008/09 compared to 2007/08. This brings crime down to its lowest level in 5 years. Aligned to this reduction was a 2% increase in the overall sanction detection rate to 29.8%.
Burglary rose slightly, by 197 offences, compared to the previous year. We are placing significant effort into this area to prevent further increases in the number of burglaries in 2009/10.
Vehicle Crime (theft of and from vehicles) decreased by 511 offences during 2008/09 compared to 2007/08.
During 2008/09 there were a number of high-profile cases within West Mercia including:
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the investigation into the deaths of Heather Wardle and her adult son James Hughes who had severe physical and learning disabilities. At Worcestershire Coroners Court in December 2008 the Deputy Coroner returned an open verdict on James and recorded a verdict that Heather Wardle killed herself.
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the investigation into the fatal fire at Osbaston House in Shropshire in August 2008. The coroner’s verdict of unlawful killing for Kirstie and Jill Foster and suicide for Christopher Foster was returned in April 2009. A film about the investigation into the fire was shown on the Channel 4 TV programme ‘Dispatches’ in April 2009.
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the murder of 29 year old Craig Hodson-Walker at Fairfield Post Office near Bromsgrove in January 2009.
The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) enables law enforcement agencies to recover monies from those people who benefit from the proceeds of their criminal conduct. Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 West Mercia successfully obtained 91 Confiscation Orders to the value of £1,287,539 and 29 Cash Forfeiture Orders to the value of £169,228. This includes orders obtained for West Mercia by the Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART) based in Solihull.
Police, prosecutors and courts receive part of these funds to re-invest in asset recovery schemes. Up to 31 December 2008 the West Mercia Police share was £113,822.
SmartWater proved to be a successful tool in both the prevention and detection of crime during the year. SmartWater is a colourless liquid that is almost invisible to the naked eye and is virtually impossible to remove. The liquid glows under ultraviolet light, making it easy for the police to detect.
It comes in two forms, as a unique, high-tech property marking system or as spray that activates and covers thieves in an irremovable liquid. Each sample contains a unique chemical code conclusively proving ownership. This means anyone found in possession of stolen items that are marked with SmartWater can be linked directly to a crime scene.
In December 2008 SmartWater evidence was, for the first time in Shropshire, presented during a trial to help convict offenders. Following a break-in at a Bridgnorth supermarket in November 2007, two of the three offenders were sprayed with SmartWater. They were arrested following a police pursuit and the SmartWater was found on their clothing after they were taken into custody. As a result, all three were charged with burglary and pleaded guilty when they appeared in court.
Other examples of the way in which SmartWater has been used this year include:
- free SmartWater packs distributed to residents and schools as part of crime prevention initiatives
- cash in transit vehicles in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Telford & Wrekin have been fitted with SmartWater technology to help catch criminals
- Worcestershire HorseWatch supplied members with SmartWater at a discounted rate to mark saddles, bridles and other equipment.
'Ruff' Justice
PC McCallister and his dog, Tyler, picked up a vehicle with three people on board leaving the scene of a burglary in Bridgnorth. A lengthy pursuit ensued covering about 17 miles. During the pursuit two armed vehicles were rammed by the offending vehicle, with one vehicle having a long handled axe thrown at the windscreen. The offending vehicle eventually crashed through a hedge and three occupants attempted to flee the scene. Two offenders were detained by officers but the third got away. Tyler was able to pick up a track, and lead PC McCallister across a ploughed field into a storage/allotment area, where the offender was located amongst some pallets. He was duly arrested.
Tackling Crime’ Performance Indicators 2008/09
| Tackling Crime | Target or Method of Monitoring | Result/Comment |
| Domestic burglary - volumes | Less than 3,500 per annum (this equates to less than 7.2 burglaries per 1,000 households | 3,851 Volume greater than target and last year’s result of 3,654 |
| Domestic burglary – sanction detection rate | 21% or above | 18.8% Below target and 2007/08 result of 20.2% |
| Serious violence against the person and sexual offences - volumes | To be monitored by Police Authority | 1,750 Volume greater than last year (largely due to recent clarifications in the Home Office counting rules) |
| Serious violence against the person and sexual offences – sanction detection rates | 35% or above | 41.3% Above target and 2007/08 result of 35.8% |
| All other offences | Less than 67,850 per annum (this equates to less than 57.4 offences per 1,000 population) | 63,130 Less than target and 2007/08 result of 66,053 |
| All other offences – sanction detection rate | 32.5% or above | 32.4% Slightly missed target but above 2007/08 result of 31.8% |
Promoting Community Safety
During 2008/09 we worked with partner agencies, volunteers and engaged with the public in a range of ways to understand and address the issues most affecting the sense of well-being in communities.
In particular we focused on the safety and security of vulnerable people and improving public reassurance, conducting a number of campaigns including:
- Knock, Knock - which raised awareness about the seriousness of distraction burglary and doorstep crime
- Safe and Secure - home security advice during for the summer holiday period
- Vehicle safety advice – simple steps to keep vehicles safe and secure which included the distribution of 10,000 “STOP – All valuables have been removed” postcards
- Lighten Up – free energy-efficient light bulbs, donated by energy company, npower, were distributed by Local Policing Teams to remind people to leave a light on in the evening when they are not at home
- Halloween Safety campaign - specially designed ‘Sorry No Trick or Treat’ posters, distributed by Local Policing Teams and made available at police station front counters, for people to display in their front door or window, if they did not wish to participate in the celebrations or open the door to trick or treaters.
Operation Christmas Presence was launched in December 2008, aiming to make the festive season safer for everyone by clamping down on crimes such as drink driving, drink spiking and drink-fuelled violence. During the campaign, which ran from 1st December to 1st January, a total of 2,401 people across the Force area were administered a roadside screening breath test. Out of those, 171 people (7%) gave a positive breath test or refused/failed to provide one.
Our 145 Local Policing Teams have a key role in promoting community safety, listening to the needs and concerns of people living and working in their area and ensuring that communities have a genuine say in identifying issues that are to be addressed as priorities.
Formal consultation takes place through PACT (Partners and Communities Together) events such as meetings, surgeries and surveys, although concerns can be brought to the attention of Local Policing Teams at any time.
The Ditch Youth Project highlighted below is just one example of how Local Policing Teams are making a real difference in the community.
Further information your Local Policing Team, their contact details, priorities and PACT meetings together with local crime information can be found within the Local Policing section of the West Mercia Police website.
The Ditch Youth Project
A youth group set up at Oakenshaw Community Centre, Redditch, by the Local Policing Officer, PC Richard Waterhouse, has made a big impact in reducing anti-social behaviour in the area.
The Ditch youth project was launched after two years of preparation work by PC Waterhouse who saw it as a way of addressing anti-social behaviour in an area where there were no statutory youth facilities.
PC Waterhouse helped secure £13,000 of funding for the project in its first year and the group now meets every Wednesday night.
There are around 50 members aged between 13 and 16 who have facilities including a sound system, pool table, table tennis, a Nintendo Wii, arts and crafts and floodlighting for soccer sessions. The Ditch has a full-time youth worker and 8 to 10 volunteers including Community Support Officer Chris Tipton.
CSO Tipton said: “Anti-social behaviour in the area that had previously attracted problems doesn’t happen any more on a Wednesday night and anti-social behaviour in general has dropped in Crabbs Cross.
Volunteers continued to provide a valuable service to West Mercia during the year. Ranging from the Special Constabulary to Watch schemes (such as Neighbourhood Watch, Business Watch and School Watch) to victim and witness care services (Victim Support and Witness Care Units), all made a valuable and valued contribution to our efforts in ensuring that West Mercia remains a safe area in which to live and work.
Shropshire Volunteers
There are approximately 75 community volunteers ranging in age from 16 to 76 working in various locations and departments throughout Shropshire Division. They are well accepted and appreciated by full time members of staff.
The CCTV centres at Bridgnorth and Oswestry are staffed solely by volunteers and volunteers also assist at the Shrewsbury CCTV centre.
There are volunteer front counter staff at Shifnal, Pontesbury, Ellesmere, Much Wenlock and Cleobury Mortimer.
Two volunteers have set up and are currently running a Rural watch scheme on the Division
Volunteers at Broadway front counter
Broadway Police station is the operational base for the Local Policing team covering the town of Broadway, and the surrounding parishes. In addition to the full-time members of West Mercia Police, the station is staffed by a team of eight unpaid volunteers drawn from the local community.
Their commitment allows for the provision of a Front Counter Service, for several hours each day, five days a week.Volunteers have been providing this service for almost twelve years. Each will have undergone an induction and vetting process, which includes appropriate training. As a result, Broadway police station is able to offer a front counter service comparable to any within West Mercia.
The volunteers provide a valuable and reassuring link between the local policing team and the community.
‘Promoting Community Safety’ Performance Indicators 2008/09
| Promoting Community Safety | Target or Method of Monitoring | Result/Comment |
| Anti-social behaviour management | To be monitored by Police Authority | 85,380 incidents – decrease of 3.8% on 2007/08 |
| Assessment of PACT engagement activity including schools/youth activity | To be monitored by Police Authority | Schools liaison action plan delivered |
| Percentage of local policing actions completed in target time | 80% or above within target time | 94.6% Above target and 2007/08 result of 87.8% |
Improving Satisfaction and Confidence
West Mercia Police and West Mercia Police Authority place great importance on listening to the needs and concerns of local people and ensuring that they have a voice in how their neighbourhood is policed. This helps us form strong relationships which result in citizens being willing and able to play an active role in the fight against crime. The primary aim of our Joint Community Engagement Strategy is to improve West Mercia's communities' levels of confidence in their local police and to provide reassurance.
Working in partnership with other statutory and voluntary organisations is key to us achieving our aims and West Mercia Police Authority has worked closely during the year as members of the 11 local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (also known as Community Safety Partnerships) and the four Local Strategic Partnerships (responsible for Local Area Agreements) within our region, together our criminal justice partners.
West Mercia conducts user satisfaction surveys throughout the year. We regularly provide information to divisions on the levels of satisfaction in their area and areas for improvement. In addition the West Mercia Performance Group regularly reviews the survey results and the Police Authority receives a quarterly update. Throughout West Mercia, the focus remains on customer satisfaction.
For the year 2008/09 we set a target for overall satisfaction with service received of 84%. This target was reached with 85% of respondents reporting that they were satisfied with our service. However, we use the survey information to inform us about areas where there are still improvements that can be made. In particular we want to do more to improve the follow up service we provide to victims of crime, and this is an area we focused on in 2008/09 with the development of a victim care database which assists officers in ensuring that victims receive regular updates on their crimes. This has helped us to improve satisfaction with follow up over the last year, with the percentage of victims saying they are completely or very satisfied with follow up increasing by 8%.
West Mercia has also devised a new Victim Care Booklet which will be made available to all victims of crime. The leaflet includes useful information about each stage of the process and what to expect from the police. It also provides advice about where to get additional support. In addition, a leaflet will be given to all people involved in road traffic collisions to provide them with information they need and help answer any questions they may have about how collisions are dealt with.
Below are just a few of the many positive comments we received about our service in 2008/09.
“Everything that was needed to be done was done, they have been in contact on a regular basis, they were very good.”
“They came in, sat down and had a chat with us. Said that it's all being dealt with and reassured us, they knew what they were doing and in general made me feel more relaxed. We haven’t had to worry - they were all fantastic.”
“I think overall they responded promptly, they were very professional and reassuring. They appeared to take a genuine interest in it and made sure I was happy and knew what would happen next. I did not have to chase for information. They explained what would happen and kept me updated. Everyone I dealt with was very professional, helpful and courteous.”
“It was very stressful but the police were very good. They did everything they possible could to help us. They even talked to my children and it made a great difference.”
The annual Crime and Safety Partnership Survey which was posted to 58,267 West Mercia residents in 2008 attracted a 25% response rate. The top 3 issues identified by residents as a priority to be addressed were speeding traffic, groups loitering and underage drinking.
A Young People’s Crime and Safety Survey was conducted in Worcestershire and Telford in October 2008. In total, over 3,500 young people aged 10-16 completed the survey. The five issues which young people most frequently reported were problems in the area where they live or go to school were
- Groups of people hanging around in public places
- Under-age drinking
- Vandalism/graffiti
- Drunk people causing problems in public places
- Being pestered / shouted at by strangers in public places.
The most frequently raised PACT (Partners and Communities Together) priorities for 2008/09 were:
- Speeding traffic
- Cars parked illegally/inconveniently
- Anti-social behaviour – inappropriate gathering/loitering/nuisance (youth related).
Flower Power
Community Support Officers (CSOs) Leeanne Marwick & Anna Synnock came up with the idea of involving local youths in a litter pick and planting scheme on the green at Bryngwyn Court, Hereford where elderly residents resented and feared the youths who congregated there, calling police frequently.
Plants and equipment were donated by local agencies and businesses. Helped by the CSOs, some of the youths removed the litter and made a large bed in the green which they filled full of flowers. Some residents came out to thank them and one provided refreshments. Relations have greatly improved - youths still meet there but are quiet and polite and clear up any litter when there. As a result, the residents’ fears of crime have reduced.
Policing Matters Groups were established during 2008 to provide residents with the opportunity to meet their Divisional Police Commander, Police Authority members and partner agencies to give their opinion on more strategic policing issues in their area. The Police Authority website provides details of when and where Policing Matters Groups are held.
Criminal Justice System
The period April 2008 to March 2009 saw a further increase in the amount of partnership work within the local criminal justice agencies:
The Criminal Justice ‘Simple Speedy Summary’ Project (CJSSS), involving Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Courts, Probation and local defence practitioners continued to develop during the year. The project has been a notable success, recording a substantial increase in the number of pleas of guilty at the first hearings of cases in all West Mercia Magistrates’ Courts and a reduction in the time that defendants and witnesses have to wait for a trial date where proceedings are contested. All local agencies are now planning to build upon this success by introducing the ‘Streamlining Project’ where a substantial reduction in Police paperwork is planned in court cases but without a reduction in performance.
‘CJSSS’ was also successfully introduced to all Youth Courts in West Mercia during the year. Again all local criminal justice agencies were involved in a project that set out a consistent strategy for all our Youth Courts and was then introduced progressively at local court level during the summer and autumn of 2008.
A number of further inter-agency criminal justice projects were identified during 2008/09 for implementation in 2009/10. These include a new protocol that will provide for joint working and agreed systems and targets in relation to Prolific Persistent Offenders. Changes are also to be made with the object of ensuring that those defendants who breach the community penalty orders to which they are subject are speedily brought back before the courts
In November 2008 a new non-emergency telephone number – 0300 333 3000 – was introduced. This new number, which was introduced following public consultation, is designed to be easier to remember and cheaper to call. During 2008/09 West Mercia received over 1 million non-emergency telephone calls.
December 2008 saw the launch of a new way for people to find out about crime in their local area. CrimeMapper, which can be accessed from the front page of our website, provides visitors with up-to-date information on crimes within the categories burglary, theft and robbery, vehicle crime, anti-social behaviour and violent crime. Details can be found by simply entering a postcode, location name or browsing a map to find comprehensive information by Force, division and ward areas.
West Mercia’s ‘Policing Pledge’ was published in January 2009 and gives the public a clear indication of the standard of service which we will aim to deliver. The Pledge, which is being rolled out by police forces across the country, was launched nationally in Redditch by former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and is a key part of our commitment to keeping communities safe from harm.
‘Improving Satisfaction and Confidence’ Performance Indicators 2008/09
| Improving Satisfaction and Confidence | Target or Method of Monitoring | Result/Comment |
| User satisfaction – percentage satisfied with whole experience (measured by West Mercia User Satisfaction Surveys) | 84% or higher satisfaction | 84.9% Above target. Improvement on 2007/08 result of 83.4% |
| User satisfaction – percentage satisfied with follow up (measured by West Mercia User Satisfaction Surveys) | 70% or higher satisfaction | 65.8% Below stretch target but an improvement on 2007/08 result of 64.4% |
| Confidence in local police (measured by the British Crime Survey) | 53% or higher confidence | 50.2% Note – this is not the Home Secretary’s new confidence measure |
| Perception of anti-social behaviour (measured by the British Crime Survey) | To be monitored by Police Authority | 13.8% |
| Perception of local drug use/drug dealing (measured by the British Crime Survey) | To be monitored by Police Authority | 25.1% |
Protecting the Public
During 2008/09 we continued to develop our capability to tackle serious and organised crime, major crime and counter-terrorism and to protect the public from sex offenders and other dangerous offenders.
In February 2008 West Mercia’s Public Protection Unit held an internet safety awareness event at Hindlip Hall, Worcester. The presentation entitled “Think you know? Do you?” was developed for parents to raise awareness of the risks to children online. The Public Protection Unit, in conjunction with the four Safeguarding Children Boards in the West Mercia region, hosted a number of e-safety events and gave presentations to schools, agencies, parents and the public throughout the West Mercia area during 2008/09.
In December 2008 West Mercia hosted a ‘Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence’ conference which attracted a wide range of keynote speakers, including actress Lynda Bellingham. Honour Based Violence is a specific type of domestic abuse that crosses all cultures and communities, and the conference was linked to our ongoing Home Truths initiative, which aims to raise awareness of the seriousness and scale of domestic abuse and promote the national helpline number for people who are being victimised (0808 2000 247).
West Mercia has been commended by both Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and the National Policing Improvement Agency for its use of the internal Local Policing intranet site to ensure that local policing teams are at the very heart of managing risk. This work focuses upon supporting victims of domestic abuse and managing sex and other dangerous offenders within the community. Protecting the public is at the very heart of policing within West Mercia and we have championed our work nationally at the annual ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) public protection conference and various other national events.
We continued to tackle drug dealing and had a number of successful operations during 2008/09 including Operation Walnut, one of the most significant and complex investigations West Mercia has undertaken, which involved police working across regional and international borders. Five men, all part of an organised crime group, were jailed for their part in a large scale importation of heroin and cocaine into the UK. During the course of Operation Walnut, which lasted for three years, 28 kilos of heroin with a street value of more than £2 million was seized. A total of 28 men were arrested and those charged have since been sentenced to a total of more than 50 years in prison.
During the past year the West Mercia Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system has captured details of over 40 million vehicles, of which nearly one million had previously come to police attention or were of interest to the police. Because our ANPR cameras operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we also monitor them in real time in order to identify people who are of interest to the police, not only locally, but also regionally and nationally. This can provide valuable advance warning when individuals from elsewhere in the country choose to target our communities, in which circumstances we are sometimes able to disrupt or prevent their activities, or if that is not possible, to use the information obtained by ANPR as a valuable investigative tool. The number of ANPR cameras that we deploy is in the process of being increased significantly, particularly on those roads and locations which it is known are used by travelling criminals, in order to further extend our capability. ANPR is a valuable source of intelligence, which backed up by photographic evidence, is proving invaluable in detecting crime and protecting our communities
In terms of collaboration regarding premises, our specialist crime facilities in Worcestershire are being used by Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade for training and the Police Authority has recently given approval for a central storage project that will enable records to be held centrally not only for West Mercia but for other police forces in the region.
Operation Kingpin
The work of Detective Inspector Mark Colquhoun could lead to changes in legislation governing mobile home parks after his investigation attracted national interest.
In September 2008, seven men were convicted of carrying out a sustained campaign of terror against elderly and vulnerable residents of The Glen mobile home park in Blackwell, Bromsgrove. Three homes had been burned to the ground in two arson attacks as part of a campaign to intimidate residents into leaving.
DI Colquhoun led Operation Kingpin and his work on the case has been featured in a Radio 4 ‘You and Yours’ programme and in National Park Homes Magazine. He has been contacted for advice by other forces along with caravan/park home residents from other parts of the country experiencing similar intimidation.
DI Colquhoun has delivered a presentation about Operation Kingpin to civil servants at the Department of Communities and Local Government and has been invited to participate in a working party concerned with reform of legislation relating to park homes.
Protecting the Public’ Performance Indicators 2008/09
| Protecting the Public | Target or Method of Monitoring | Result/Comment |
| Support national counter terrorism activity by engaging in full range of national and regional terrorism policing activities | To be monitored by Police Authority | Assessed as “Good” in last available assessment within an scale of Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor |
| Improve our 2007 performance and support the National Asset Recovery Strategy by maximising every opportunity to confiscate assets including cash derived from criminality | To be monitored by Police Authority | Assessed as “Fair” within an assessment scale of Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor |
| Enhance our approach to the protection of vulnerable people by taking a positive approach towards dealing with domestic abuse, child abuse, hate crime and missing persons | To be monitored by Police Authority | No quantitive data available, however all available evidence from external audit and inspection reports indicates that positive progress is being made |
| Under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), exchange appropriate information with partner agencies about dangerous offenders and manage the risk they pose | To be monitored by Police Authority | No quantitive data available, however all available evidence from external audit and inspection reports indicates that positive progress is being made |
| Repeat victimisation – domestic violence offences | To be monitored by Police Authority | 23.2% Below 2007/08 figure of 21.2% |
| Number of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions | 800 or fewer (Government year 2010 target) | 517 (599 in 2007/08) |
| Other | ||
| Police officer sickness – working days lost | 9 days or less | 8.5 (provisional) Below target Below 2007/08 figure of 9.3 |
| Police staff sickness – working days lost | 9 days or less | 9.8 (provisional) Above target Above 2007/08 figure of 9.0 |
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